Coonties are admeenistered bi coonty govrenors (Lithuanie: singular – apskrities viršininkas, plural – apskrities viršininkai) who are appointit bi the central govrenment in Vilnius. Their primary duty is tae ensur that the municipalities obey the laws an the Constitution o Lithuanie. They dae no hae great pouers vestit in them, an so it is suggestit that 10 coonties are too hintle for Lithuanie as the twa smawest coonties admeenister anerlie fower municipalities. There is a proposal tae replace the coonties wi fower or five lands, a new admeenistrative unit, that wad be decidit accordin tae the ethnographic regions o Lithuanie an based on the 5 major ceeties wi the population mair than 100,000. On 1 Julie 2010, the coonty admeenistrations wur abolished[1], an syne that date, coonties remains as the territorial an statistical units.

Modren apskritys shoud no be ramfeeselt wi apskritys that existit in the independent Lithuanie durin the interwar period. At that time Lithuanie haed a twa-step admeenistrative diveesion: apskritys that wur subdividit intae valsčius. Lithuanie nou haes a three-step diveesion: coonties, municipalities, an elderates (apkritys, savivaldybės, an seniūnijos). See subdiveesions o Lithuanie for details.